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Meaning & use

standout

adjective, noun·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈstændaʊt/
US/ˈstændaʊt/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nounapproving

    Much better or more impressive than the others of its kind.

    Grammar: Comes before a noun: a standout performance.

    Patterns

    • a standout performance
    • a standout feature

    The young goalkeeper gave a standout performance.

    The pasta was the standout dish of the night.

    Her standout talent was noticed by every coach.

  2. nouncountableapproving

    A person or thing that is clearly better or more impressive than the others in a group.

    Grammar: Countable: she was a standout in the show.

    Patterns

    • a standout in something
    • the standout of something

    She was a standout on the track team.

    Among all the songs, the last one was the standout.

    The new phone's camera is the standout of the range.

Word forms

pluralstandouts

Common combinations

standout performance
His standout performance won him an award.
standout player
The standout player scored three goals.
standout feature
The standout feature is its battery life.
standout moment
The standout moment was the final song.
standout track
The standout track was the second song.

Synonyms and how they differ

outstanding
Outstanding is slightly more formal and common in written praise, while standout is warmer and conversational.
exceptional
Exceptional focuses on being unusual and well above average.
remarkable
Remarkable suggests something worth noticing, not necessarily the best.
highlight
A highlight is the best moment or part of an event.

Opposites

ordinaryforgettable

Word family

stand out phrasal verb
to be noticeable or better
outstanding adjective
excellent
standouts noun
plural form

Commonly confused: standout or stand out?

standout vs stand out

Stand out is the verb phrase in two words; standout is the noun or adjective in one.

Practice

Of all the dishes at the dinner, the lamb was the ___.

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